664 ORDER 128. TAXACEJ3. 



cms. Found throughout the U. S., but chiefly in the maritime parts, growing in 

 dry, rocky places. It is a tree of middle size, sending out numerous, horizontal 

 branches. Leaves dark green, the younger ones small, ovate acute, scale-like, 

 overlying each other in 4 rows, upon the subdivided branchlets ; the older ones 

 6" long. Flowers inconspicuous, the staminato in oblong, terminal aments, 3" 

 long; the fertile on separate trees, producing small, bluish berries covered with a 

 white powder. "Wood reddish, very light, durable, used in making drawing pen- 

 cils, etc. Apr., May. 



/3. PROSTRATA. Lvs. ovate, submucronate, glandular in the middle, oppressed ; 



berries tubercular ; st. prostrate, creeping. A shrub, on gravelly shores, with 



creeping branches 4 8f long. 



ORDER CXXVIII. TAXACEvE. YEWS. 



Trees or shrubs, with narrow, parallel-veined or broad fork-veined leaves, and tho 

 flowers diclinous, achlamydeous, surrounded with imbricated bracts. $ Flowers 

 several together, each consisting of one or several coherent anthers. $ Flowers 

 solitary or clustered, each consisting of a single naked ovule, terminal or axillary. 

 Fruit a solitary seed usually surrounded at base by a fleshy cupule. Fig. 421. 



Genera 9, species 50, generally natives of the temperate regions. 



1. TAX'US, Tourn. YEW. (Gr. raov, an arrow ; arrows were 

 formerly poisoned with the juice of the Yew tree.) Flowers $ ? or 

 8 , axillary, surrounded with numerous scales. $ Aments globular, 

 composed of 8 to 10 stamens; anthers peltate, 6 to 8-celled, cells de- 

 hiscent beneath. ? Flowers solitary, consisting of a single ovule, be- 

 coming in fruit a seed nearly enclosed in a pulpy cupule. Trees or 

 shrubs, with evergreen, linear, alternate Ivs. 



1. T. Caiiadeiisis L. DWARF YEW. GROUND HEMLOCK. (Fig. 421.) SJirub 

 low or prostrate ; Ivs. linear, mucronate, 2-ranked, re volute on the margin sterile 

 ament globous ; drupes depressed-globous, open at top. A small evergreen shrub 

 with the general aspect of a dwarf hemlock spruce (Pinus Canadensis). It grows 

 on thin rocky soils in shady places, 2 to 3f high, Can. to Penn. and Ky. Lvs. 

 nearly an inch long, arranged in 2 opposite rows on the sides of the branchlets. 

 Staminate flowers in small, roundish, axillary heads. Drupes coralline-red, con- 

 cave or open at the summit, displaying the top of the black seed. May. 

 2 T. baccata L. ENGLISH YEW. Tree of low stature, attaining- a great size ; 

 Ivs. linear and spatulate-linear, imbricated all around the young branchlets, finally 

 spreading and distichous ; fr. oblong-oval or somewhat bell-shaped, open at the 

 top. Trees attaining great age in England, with short, huge trunks and wide- 

 spread branches, f 



^ 2. TORRETA, Arnott. (Dedicated to Prof. John Torrcy, of New 

 York.) Flowers 8 . $> Aments oblong, many-flowered, bracts at base 

 imbricated in 4 rojvs ; stamen a pedicellate scale, bearing several an- 

 ther cells at base. $ Ament ovoid, 1-flowercd, consisting of a solitary 

 ovule surrounded with bracts ; fruit oblong-ovate, a nut-like seed en- 

 closed in a thick, fibro-fleshy testa. Small evergreen trees, with spread- 

 ing branches and 2-ranked, linear Ivs. 



T. taxifolia Arn. Along the Chattahoocb.ee, Mid. Fla., and cultivated at Quincy 

 (by Judge Dupont). Tree 15 to 30f high. Branches ramifying distichousiy and 

 horizontally. Lvs. dark green, shining, very acute, mucronate-pungent, margins 

 revolute, 18" long. Drupe near 1' long, with a brittle epicarp. 



3. SALISBURIA V NA adiantifblia Smith, is occasionally seen in 

 gardens and shrubberies, called Jingko, in Japan. It is remarkably 

 distinguished by its broad, fan-shaped, fork-veined petiolate Ivs. It be- 

 comes a tree 40 to 80f in height, f Japan. 



